Snagging the Malfoy
by paws-bells
Summary: DG. OotP compatible. What happens when Ginny realises that she, for no rhyme or reason, likes Draco Malfoy? Use all ways to make him like her too, of course!
1. Chapter 1

**Snagging the Malfoy**

**A/N:** (hides from angry readers) I know I know! I cannot believe that I just started another fic without finishing the others, but I just can't help it. My WB refuses to clear unless I write this. Honest! Sorry guys, I will try to put up some chapters of the other fics in between, ok? Oh yeah, this is my first HP fic, so please be lenient to whatever bloopers that I might make in this story! Very short first chapter, but it will get considerably better after this. Another thing, I have simply atrocious grammar and I know it, so if there is anybody interested in beta-reading this fic, please drop me a mail or something. My imouto had been so kind in beta-ing my other fic, and I do not wish to burden her with another one.

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim.

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**Chapter One – The Thing That Should Never Have Happened**

Ginny Weasley had always been a very sensible girl. Her excellent sense of preservation for self as well as for others had helped her achieve a lot of things in the past years. Good things. Things like always being the top student of her year. Things like being chosen for the position of a prefect.

This, however, did not mean that she did not occasionally indulge in flights of fancy and daydreams of knights in shining armors. The sixth year Gryffindor was after all, just a girl; and like all girls her age, long to find their perfect mate, that one true love who would promise with words of undying love and adoration, white picket fences and whispers of forever.

But what really alarmed Ginny's sensibilities was the fact that her knight in shining armor was starting to resemble more and more like a certain blond-haired, grey-eyed enemy of her family.

_Draco Lucius Malfoy._

'Good heavens,' the littlest Weasley thought morosely to herself when the truth finally saw fit to present itself to her. 'How could this have had happened without even my knowledge of it?'

It was true; Draco Malfoy had had nothing but nasty words to say to her whenever they crossed paths, and he never failed to be on his worst behavior whenever a Gryffindor was present. He hated everything red and gold, and that was just the way things are.

But yet, after all is said and done, Ginny Weasley was still undeniably attracted to him. She really had no idea why either; Draco did not seem to have any nice traits to speak of, and she normally would have preferred boys with a more muscular build and darker features, the complete opposite of what Draco is.

The Slytherin boy was tall and slender, ('Too slender,' Ginny thought with a frown.) with a build more like a dancer than a seeker and possessing movements more graceful than most. His skin tone was milky-white, something most women would have killed for, and his baby-fine blond hair made him look even paler than he already was. Furthermore, with those arrogantly aristocratic features passed down to him thanks to generations of careful inbreeding, it was true that Draco Malfoy possessed the face of an angel and that its so aesthetically pleasing that it was almost androgynous. He had really grown into that long nose and pointy chin, and the nickname 'ferret' could really not be used to describe him anymore. Ginny was not really very happy that this boy whom she had unfortunately taken a liking to might appear even prettier than she was. Really, she would have preferred more masculine boys like…

_Like Harry_, her mind whispered thoughtfully. Ginny promptly shut down that train of thought; it was sick-making, for she had gotten over her crush of Harry almost right after the entire fiasco that consisted of the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had been too _good_, too _nice_ for her to have a crush on ever since; so much so that he is almost like another brother; and that had immediately ended all sorts of romantic inclinations that she once had for him.

'So now what?' Ginny asked herself glumly as she sat in the Great Hall during dinner, amongst all her fellow Gryffindors and friends. They had been smart enough not to disturb her tonight; for she had just realized her 'hidden feelings' (Ginny wanted to gag at that) for Malfoy that very morning and had been very surly and grouchy the whole day. It had taken said whole day for her to accept the sad fact of her pitiful life, though she still was not very happy over this new turn of events; but was sensible enough not to deny it. She would rather deal with it instead, and hopefully it would go away sooner or later.

_You wish,_ her mind muttered gleefully. The Gryffindor squashed that irritating voice pointedly and pretended that she did not hear what had been said. She had more important things to think of; like how to get over this new development in her life.

'But how to go about doing it?' Ginny narrowed her eyes at the object of her 'affections' ('More like frustrations,' Ginny scoffed inwardly), who was still blissfully unaware of the impending hurricane that would soon turn his orderly life upside down and inside out.

And then it hit her. The perfect plan. Ginny started to grin, albeit a little maniacally. If she had to suffer being in love with the most insufferable prat in the whole of Hogwarts, there is NO WAY in hell that she is going to suffer alone. The redhead's grin widened, and so involved is she in her plotting that she did not notice the Gryffindors whom had been sitting around her edging warily away. Having Ginny grinning like that often meant that she was up to no good, and this time was no exception.

Draco Malfoy is going down.

**A/N:** I re-edited this chapter again, for I have realized that had seemed to accidentally cut off some of the sections in this chapter. All is well now though!


	2. Chapter 2

**Snagging the Malfoy**

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

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**Chapter 2 – The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day**

Draco Malfoy was having a most exasperating day.

The lanky blonde had no idea what Ginny Weasley was trying to do and although he really didn't want to find out, he would like to know why the littlest Weasel had been tailing him for the good part of the day. Hell, the good part of the week.

He had at first noticed the glimpse of red on Monday, right after Potions. It had disappeared from his peripheral sight as soon as it had appeared though, and Draco had dismissed it. He had proceeded on to Transfigurations with Zabini and Parkinson then, and it was before he entered McGonagall's class that he saw that elusive wisp of red again. Once again, he wrote it off as coincidence; after all what would the Gryffindor Princess want with him?

She obviously wanted something, that's what.

It had taken half a day, as well as the amused observations of his friends for him to realize that he was not being paranoid. The little redhead was indeed following him around! Draco did not know what to make of it, and had been initially amused by the littlest Gryff's failing attempt as inconspicuous stalking. He sure as heck wasn't amused now. Despite the fact that he would without fail only see flashes of her every time each of his classes ended, he was starting to get irritated with all the skulking around one Ginny Weasley was doing around him. Not that he hadn't experienced overzealous stalker-ish ex-girlfriends before, but he really doubted that the Weaslette had the intention of getting into his bed.

Which meant that she was up to something.

The blonde started to scowl as he tried to recall what the runt of the Weasley litter looked like. He could only remember a diminutive stature, a mass of garish red hair, a lot of freckles and boring brown eyes. He was quite surprised with himself to have come up with such details; he barely paid attention to Ginny Weasley other than to mock her and her family, and even that was pretty rare in itself. Insulting the Golden Trio was actually what he did more often, although that childish appeal had faded by the time he reached sixth year and as much as he still disdained Potter and his sidekicks, he now had much better things to do than to go around picking fights with them. Being elected Head Boy had allotted him with a lot of responsibilities, and contrary to popular belief, Draco Malfoy is not one to shirk his duties.

Speaking of duties, Draco recalled that the female Weasley was a prefect too, together with her insufferable brother as well as the know-it-all Granger, who happened to be the Head Girl this year. He also recalled Snape's grudging recognition for the little redhead's outstanding abilities in Potions, not to mention the fact that she was also the smartest witch in her year. An important member of Dumbledore's Army, she had helped in the permanent defeat of the Death Eaters a year ago when the mighty Harry Potter had destroyed Voldemort once and for all. She was the star chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and appeared to be on good terms with not only the members of her own house, but those in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and even a handful of Slytherins as well, something quite rare for a Gryffindor to do.

His frown intensified. Ginny Weasley was smart, accomplished and a general all-rounder in everything she chose to do.

So what the hell was someone like her doing following him around for that past few days?

"Judging by that sour look I would say that you are thinking about the littlest Weasley."

A low, feminine voice cut through his thoughts. Parkinson. Draco turned his head to look grumpily at the Slytherin walking by his side.

Pansy Parkinson eyed her friend with a slight smirk flirting with her lips. Like Draco, the once upon a time 'pug-nosed' Slytherin had grown into her looks. The baby fat from childhood had melted completely off rounded cheeks to reveal a small but stunning face with an irresistible baby doll appeal as well as a compact but voluptuous body that were simply to die for. Adding that to a pair of smoky sapphire eyes and waist-length mahogany curls it was no wonder that Parkinson had risen rapidly among ranks to become one of the most beautiful witches in Hogwarts. However, beauty does not a ditz make; the gorgeous but seemingly air headed brunette was actually one of the top five smartest students among all seventh years, the fact well known only among Slytherin and nearly nowhere else, which was exactly the way Pansy wanted.

In other words, if the infamous Draco Malfoy was the Slytherin Prince, then surely Pansy Parkinson would be the Queen of Snakes, ruling the House of Salazar with an iron fist.

"Come off it, Pans." A soft, sardonic voice drawled out from Draco's other side. "Why announce what we all know? Can't you see that our poor friend is getting frazzled by his newest stalker as it is?"

Enter Blaise Zabini, the last member of Draco's innermost circle. Easily the most sociable among the three, the tall, lanky teenager sauntered lazily down the hallway beside his friends as they slowly made their way to the Great Hall for supper, his dark indigo eyes glimmering with light humor as he surveyed the look of irritation on the face of his blonde friend.

The direct opposite of Draco in appearance, Zabini possessed a darker complexion as well as hair so black that it was streaked with blue highlights. His indigo eyes were exotically slanted, and like Draco he possessed the high cheekbones of purebred aristocrats. Thin lips often curled up in an ironic smirk completed the proud patrician features, and like Pansy, this seventh year Slytherin Prefect did not excel in looks only. Zabini's grades were second only to Hermione Granger's, and everyone knew it.

"Malfoys do not-"

"-get frazzled?" Pansy finished with amusement as they turned into the great hall. The three Slytherins ignored the furtive looks of admirations that were directed towards them as they made their way to their seats at the head of the Slytherin tables.

"Exactly." Draco's expression was one of utmost blandness, his frown having been smoothed away the moment the doors of the Great Hall were opened. Appearances have to be kept up, after all. "And you had better not be implying what I think you are implying, Zabini. There is no way in hell I am afraid of a girl Weasel."

The slightly shorter boy arched an eyebrow. "Huh." He merely said as he sat down beside Pansy. Across the table, Draco narrowed quicksilver eyes at the Slytherin jester, the look on his face still as impassive as ever.

"I am not amused, Zabini." The blonde murmured as he started to pile on some mash potatoes and rosemary marinated lamb chops onto his plate. On either side of him, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe were already well onto their third servings and Draco refrained from staring at the messy way they ate their food. Blaise and Pansy weren't so lucky however, having seated across the two hulking and admittedly not-quite-intelligent males. Crabbe and Goyle might not follow Malfoy around like they used to anymore but they still sit flanking him; the identical expression of barely concealed disgust on both Blaise and Pansy's eyes were just too amusing for Draco to move his ex-bodyguards away.

Pansy stared at the gravy slowly dripping down Goyle's chin before shaking her head slightly and focusing her attention elsewhere. Was it any wonder that she had gotten slim after having been forced to see those two eat? Her lazy sapphire eyes widened slightly when she saw what was happening across the hall, behind Malfoy's back. She nudged Zabini surreptitiously under the table, and he looked up from his plate to see what exactly had caught her attention.

"So you are going to corner the little Weaslette later? End this little game once and for all?" Draco had not noticed the peculiar behavior of his friends yet; he nodded at Pansy's question.

"Might as well tease her a little too, for old times' sake." Draco lifted his head just in time to catch Blaise's smirk. By his side, Pansy looked at him with pure amusement on her face.

"Well Malfoy, you are in luck. You don't even have to wait for later." Zabini told the blonde cheerfully.

"She's right behind you."

* * *

"Ginny, are you really sure that you want to do this?" Colin Creevey asked as he looked anxiously at the redhead sitting right beside him. She looked at him and smiled with all the bravado she did not possess.

"But it's such a good opportunity today, don't you think?" Ginny inclined her head to Ron, who was sitting at the far end of the table with Harry and Hermione. The male Weasley was shoving food into his mouth at an unbelievable speed while talking to (and spraying food at) Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan between brief intakes of air. Ginny did not envy the pair who was sitting right before Ron, and by his side his girlfriend Hermione was trying to nag him into slowing down his insane pace of consumption. Ginny did not envy her position either. On the other side of Hermione, Harry noticed her stare and rolled his eyes at her brother's antics. Ginny merely smiled before turning her attention back to Colin.

Colin Creevey was no longer the scrawny little boy with a squeaky voice and the overenthusiastic tendencies. The happy-go-lucky sixth year chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team had toned down a lot, and in the span of two years had shot up to be nearly as tall as Ron (who hit the low ceiling lights on a very regular basis) and thanks to the intense Quidditch practice had also grown from a skinny, gangly boy to a buff and muscular teenager who broke hearts on an alarmingly frequent basis. His friendly manner and sociable ways had made him very popular with the girls and he was always happily soaking in their attentions, much to Ginny's exasperation.

Colin had been her best friend ever since first year. Embarrassingly enough, it was their mutual adoration of Harry Potter that had made them fast friends, and whereas Ginny had fallen out of her crush for The-Boy-Who-Lived right after the entire Chamber of Secrets fiasco, it had taken the blonde two more years before he finally realized that Harry Potter was just as human as everyone around him. Poor Harry was infinitely relieved when Creevey finally stopped asking him to sign his own photos. That didn't mean that Colin had given up on his love for photography though, no; he still lugs his old-fashioned camera around whenever he could, though it was not as often as it had used to be a couple years back.

"Yes, but Ron is known to sprout wings sometimes, you know. Especially when he sees things that he does not like to see." Colin retorted dryly. "I bet he is going to hit the roof and then fly straight over to strangle Malfoy."

Ginny grinned at the image. Her love interest might be a few inches shorter than her giant of a brother and leanly muscled but she had no doubt that he could hold his own against Ron. He was a Malfoy after all. "I think that Malfoy will manage along."

Her eyes flitted over to the Hufflepuff's table and Zacharias Smith lifted his head to lock eyes with Ginny. He winked encouragingly at the redhead and her grin widened.

The flirtatious sixth year was also part of her small band of close friends, and he had really been an unexpected find. During the start of her second year Ginny had often been unmercifully teased and taunted for the near fatal escapade of her first year, and due to the fact that Colin was as small and as awkward a preteen as she had been, the two of them had often been the butt of many a joke. That was before a more normally-developed Zacharias had taken them under his wing, and with the three of them always banded together it became much harder for others to subject them to extensive bullying. Ginny never knew the reason why the dark-haired Zacharias had decided to help them those years ago, but she was grateful for it. The Hufflepuff has been nothing but a great friend; always slow to take offense and quick to understand any problems that she had.

With her grin in place, Ginny nodded her appreciation to Smith before moving her gaze to the next table. Luna was already waiting to catch her gaze; the blonde Ravenclaw waved mistily at Ginny, the bracelet of phoenix feathers fluttering on her delicate wrist as she did so. Lovegood had told her earlier that in some Eastern cultures the phoenix symbolizes true love, and so she had worn the bracelet in support of Ginny's endeavor. Ginny waved back, uncaring of the odd looks that people were giving to them.

Luna Lovegood was the last member of her little circle of friends. Like Zacharias, the blonde had joined their little friendship circle on their second year. Despite being a recent victim, Ginny had not understood the cruelty of children and why they would say nasty things to others just to make themselves feel good. Luna was special, not Loony like they had taunted her with, and Ginny had gotten her to join her and the boys when people started to steal her possessions as some sort of sick joke. That had stopped soon enough though, especially after the small group of 'misfits' had informed the Ravenclaw Head Professor Flitwick about the happenings within his own house.

Indeed, it was true that necessity had pulled the four of them together, but ultimately it had been the ties of friendship that had bound them together even more tightly than any magic could ever do so. For four years they have stuck closely together, and they knew each other as well as themselves. Despite the fact that each of them were by now popular enough on their own merits (Ginny with all her stunning achievements, pretty Luna with her adorably eccentric (not weird) ways, Colin with his charming and friendly appeal, and Zacharias with his flirtatious and playful manner) they were still the closest with each other. After all, they had all seen one another in their weakest and worst moments, and they had not left or said anything derogatory yet. They still stayed bound together, and only in that little circle of four did they really reveal their true selves and innermost thoughts, without any worries of repercussions or harsh judgments. That was the meaning of true friendship.

And it was because of this friendship that Colin Creevey was now attempting his best to dissuade one determined redhead from what he deemed as a suicide mission, for he had no doubt that Ron was going to murder them all when everything is said and done.

Colin sighed loudly.

"Really, Ginny, is it really prudent of you to do this in such a public manner?" The blonde questioned. He still had difficulty believing that his cheerful little pint-sized friend liked the Ice King Malfoy in that manner. It was a literal sense of opposites attracts, and try as he might Colin could not see what it was about Malfoy that had appealed to Ginny. Sure, he had toned down on the bullying and the gleeful picking on Gryffindors, but he was still the same annoying git that everyone loved to hate. "Can't you be like normal girls and hide yourself in some dark corner of the castle and spring upon the object of your affections in private?"

Ginny shook her head resolutely. "No, I am not planning to be just another anonymous notch on his bedpost. If I am going to declare my affections, then I am damn well going to do it where everyone can see and know."

If there was one thing that her close-knit family had taught her, it was that love was nothing to be ashamed about. Love was not an embarrassment, and she would not degrade its value by treating it as such. Besides, the determined redhead was no longer the painfully shy and awkward ten-year old that she once was. She had long grown out of that phase, and all her hard earned achievements had made her one very confident young woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it.

Colin stared at the set expression on Ginny's face and knew that he might as well have been talking to a wall. Her stubborn streak was especially well-known among the Gryffindors and he shook his head in defeat. "I don't understand why it has to be him of all people."

Ginny smiled sympathetically at Colin. She knew that it had been a huge shock to her friends when she had confessed that she really liked Draco Malfoy but she really didn't know how to explain to them what her mother had told her so many years ago.

"_Mama, how did you know that you love Papa?" A nine-year old Ginny had asked. Molly Prewett Weasley smiled as she combed her daughter's flame-like hair with a gentle and patient hand. She had a feeling that this was about a certain boy with messy black hair and crooked glasses. _

"_Well, you will know." Molly said patiently as she ran her fingers through Ginny's red tresses. "The Prewett blood runs true in your veins. You will know." _

_Ginny did not understand._

"_Do you think that Harry will be the one for me?" She asked her mother with childish hope. Molly looked maternally at her baby. It would be nice if Harry was the Soulmate of her Ginny, but a mother's instinct was never wrong. Polite, chivalrous Harry was a childhood crush, and that was what he would always be. There would be someone else for little Ginny, someone who would make her feel the way Arthur had made Molly feel. _

_Molly smiled at her youngest again. _

"_We will see." _

"For Merlin's sake, Ginny. Stop daydreaming." Colin nudged her from her thoughts. "Your new love and his two friends have just walked in." Ginny lifted her head just in time to see Malfoy, Zabini and Parkinson take to their seats at the prestigious head of the Slytherin table. They were as usual, 'fashionably late' for supper, and for awhile Ginny had thought that maybe the three Slytherin prefects would not be appearing at all. Malfoy's back was facing hers and all of a sudden she felt a little nervous for what she was about to do. This was only her second public declaration after all, the first having been forced out of her in the form of that horrible poem during her first year by none other than Draco Malfoy in the exact same hall. Her eyes narrowed at the memory.

Suddenly she didn't feel quite so apprehensive any more. If she could survive that, she could survive anything. Ginny stood up suddenly from her seat, nearly upsetting her own uneaten supper. Colin looked at her in alarm.

"Ginny, there is no turning back after this." He warned quickly. Ginny smiled grimly.

"I know." She whispered loudly for him to hear. "Wish me luck."

"Don't worry, what are friends for? I will be at your funeral with the largest bouquet of flowers." The blonde said morosely as Ginny clambered over the bench. "Good luck, Gin. You are going to need it."

Ginny barely heard the end of Colin's sentence. She darted quickly to the other side of the Great Hall, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Ron noticed what she was doing. She nodded purposefully at Zacharias and Luna as she passed them by, her heart warming at their unconditional support. She had the best friends in the world, and for that she was infinitely thankful. Ginny flitted past the Ravenclaw Table and by then she could already hear the whispers starting behind her, traveling like wildfire.

She ignored them and came rapidly to a stop behind Malfoy, just in time to catch Zabini's amused purr.

"She's right behind you."

* * *

Draco took his time responding to Zabini's statement, the bland expression on his face indicating that he was unaffected by the other boy's words. It was just too bad that his two friends knew him too well; their faces were equally blank but their eyes laughed at him.

He decided to ignore them. The blonde wiped his mouth delicately with a piece of dining napkin before setting it aside and getting to his feet. He stepped gracefully away from the bench before turning to regard the bane of his existence. Ginny Weasley was standing before him, her hands by her side and a very dogged expression on her small face. She barely came up to his shoulder, this pint-sized stalker of his.

"Yes, Weaslette? Is there anything that you require of me now that you have been following me around for a week? An evaluation form perhaps?" Draco spoke at last, his voice thick with sarcasm. By then the Great Hall was silent, and from the corner of his eyes he could see the Gryffindor Dream Team storming over to the rescue, with the redhead string bean in the lead. This was going to be interesting.

Ginny stared up at Draco. This was the first time that she was standing this near to the blonde and it was a lightheaded experience. The Slytherin was very tall and the slightly menacing way he looked at her made her feel slightly nervous.

"Ginny Weasley! What are you think going over there? Come back here now!" Ginny immediately shoved away her discomfort as the nearing roar of her brother made itself known to her. It was now or never.

"Actually, there is something I require of you." Ginny spoke quickly, her clear and steady voice belying the crazy manner her heart was pounding in her chest. Draco swept up a lazy eyebrow.

"Oh?" It was hilarious the way the little redhead looked at the moment. She was green around the gills, and he could hardly wait to see the expression on her brother's face when he told the elder Weasley just what his little sister had been up to this past week. "And what is that?" Draco drawled slowly, crossing his arms across his chest.

It was exactly what Ginny had been waiting for.

"I want you, Malfoy." She blurted out, and she watched as his eyes widened fractionally with shock.

Then quickly, because she could almost feel the vibration of Ron's footsteps as he stampeded towards them, she tiptoed, grabbed the ears of the bewildered blonde and pulled him down to her eyelevel. Her eyes lit up with laughter when she realized Malfoy's uncanny resemblance to a landed trout. Suddenly, she felt as though all her worries had been for naught.

This was going to be easier than stealing candy from a baby.

"I like you, you stupid git."

Then she planted one on him.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Snagging the Malfoy**

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Chapter 3 – Somebody just shoot me now**

Draco Lucius Malfoy was in shock.

The daring little Weaslette with the mass of wavy red hair and the laughing amber eyes was kissing him. In front of the entire Slytherin Table. Heck, in front of the whole school.

It took him the whole of two seconds to react to the soft pressure of her lips against his, and being a normal seventeen year old male loaded with testosterones his instincts reacted before common sense and before the little redhead could withdraw from him his arms shot up to pull the soft and pleasant smelling female against him.

She smelled of vanilla, light and at the same time dangerously heady, and as he deepened the kiss he felt her relax trustingly against him. It should feel odd to have his archenemy in his arms, but this little witch with her deadly bat-bogey hex fit against him in the most primal manner, and at that split moment Draco Malfoy decided that he might be able to work this new turn of events to his advantage. He was not a second too soon in his revelation, for no sooner had he made his decision, the delectable Ginny Weasley was torn away from him in the most abrupt manner.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley! What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" Ron looked at his dreamy-eyed sister with an aghast look on his face. There were some things in this world that Ron Weasley did not ever want to see, and watching his baby sister in a heated embrace with their worst enemy had been one of them. He wanted nothing better than to Obliviate himself to blissful oblivion, and he would probably get Hermione to do so for him right after he finished interrogating Ginny.

Ginny sported a disgruntled look on her face when she turned to her brother. "Well, Ron, what did you think I was doing?" She asked; her soft voice calm and totally unlike that of the older Weasley, who looked like he was going to explode anytime soon. Draco crossed his arms and watched the unfolding scenario was inward amusement. In his entire career in Hogwarts he had never seen Ron Weasley turn such an interesting shade of puce before. It was really fascinating to watch.

"You- you were kissing _Malfoy_!" Ron burst out at last, his face red and his eyes still not believing what he had just saw. "I'm telling Mom!"

By his side, Harry and Hermione winced inwardly.

Weasley explosion, here we come.

They were surprised however, when Ginny appeared totally unconcerned by the Ron's childish threat. She grinned at her brother then, an expression so full of mischief and before Ron knew what she was planning to do the little redhead had pulled her brother down to her level and smacked a loud kiss upon his lips. "Well, now you have kissed Malfoy as well." Ginny said as she withdrew from her slack mouthed brother. "Don't forget to tell Mom that too."

Ron looked like he was going to faint, and Ginny winked playfully at Harry who was trying hard not laugh. Ginny's wink set him off, however, and he burst into laughter. The loud chuckles of The-Boy-Who-Lived broke the bubble of stumped silence within the Great Hall, and a smiling Ginny winced inwardly when more and more laughter joined Harry's as the hilarity of what had happened hit them. There were some jokers who were even clapping with glee. Ron was going to be so pissed at her when he recovered.

She would be wise to make a quick exit now.

The littlest Weasley caught Hermione's eye and the amused Head Girl nodded with understanding. Ginny turned to Malfoy and shot him a little smile before turning to saunter out of the Great Hall. Her friends were waiting for her at the entrance; Zacharias laughing so hard that there were tears running down his face and Colin looking as though doomsday was approaching. Luna merely hooked her arm with Ginny as she neared and the two marched out of the Great Hall confidently with the other two males trailing behind.

Draco Malfoy watched her leave with an indescribable gleam in his mercurial eyes before turning to smirk slightly at the elder Weasley. Ron narrowed his eyes as Malfoy. He could barely resist the urge to swipe at his mouth.

"What have you done to my sister?" Ron growled at the coolly amused blonde. Draco merely looked at the hot-tempered Gryffindor in an arch manner that made Ron tense. By now, Zabini and Parkinson had moved into position behind him, ready to defend their friend in case the Gryffindors tried anything. Potter and Granger looked warily at the Slytherins but did not go for their wands.

"I have done nothing to the little Weasel." Draco said at last. He stalked closer to Weasley, silver eyes glinting with sardonic humor. "Yet."

Ron let out a wounded roar and would have throttled the life out of the slimy Ferret had Harry and Hermione not restrained him.

"Ron, why don't we hear what Ginny has to say first?!" Hermione spoke quickly. Harry nodded in agreement, his lean seeker physique straining as he struggled to hold back his more muscular friend. "Besides," Hermione continued, inclining her head towards a very attentive row of professors at the front of the Hall. "picking a fight right under Professor Snape's nose is not the wisest thing to do. You don't want to be suspended from Quidditch, do you?" she warned.

That served to cool Ron's temper down a little but he continued eying Malfoy narrowly. The Slytherin Head Boy was not intimidated. He started to open his mouth to say something derogative when Harry shot him a distinctly unamused look. Despite the fact that Draco Malfoy had earned his grudging respect when he had led the Slytherins to help defend Hogwarts when the Death Eaters attacked the school last year, the blonde could still be a rather pain in the ass when he wanted to. The messy-haired teenager turned intense emerald eyes towards Parkinson.

"We don't want any confrontation." Harry spoke politely to the only female counterpart of Draco's group. Then he rolled his eyes a little at the beautiful Slytherin when she did not seem to react at all to his words. "Can you _please_ get your prat of a friend out of here before we sic Ron on him? I promise that there won't even be scraps of him left over when Ron is through with him."

Pansy smirked. "Well, since you ask that nicely…" Blaise's indigo eyes danced with amusement as he exchanged a look with Draco.

"Fine." The blonde sneered at last. "I shall be magnanimous this time, seeing that ickle Ronniekins can hardly do anything himself without the aid of the great Harry Potter."

There was a pained look on Harry's face as Ron growled and tried to lunge as Malfoy. Were they ever going to grow up? "Just go." The Gryffindor seeker told his Slytherin counterpart in a strained manner. Draco smirked at the red-faced Weasel King before turning to leave the Great Hall, his face smoothed once more into an impassive mask and his strides arrogant.

Pansy shot a small mocking grin towards the Golden Trio. "I have a feeling that we will be seeing each other more often from now on." Her smoky sapphire eyes landed on Potter as she continued to speak in that low and husky voice of hers. "Until next time, Gryffindorks."

Blaise smiled politely at them before gallantly offering his arm to the beautiful Slytherin. Parkinson laid a small hand on the much taller boy's forearm and the pair strolled out after their friend.

The next few weeks were going to be extremely interesting.

* * *

Blaise was laughing softly at the scenario that had occurred in the Great Hall earlier when he walked into Draco's private room. As Head Boy, it was one of the privileges that came with the job. The huge room was fully equipped with its own bathroom and was ornately decked out in shades of silver and emerald. Pansy followed behind the dark-haired teenager and sat herself gracefully on one of the cushioned armchairs.

The owner of the room emerged from the bath then, his white blonde hair wet and rivulets of water trailing down his slick torso. The water droplets trickled down pale but well-defined pectorals and kissed Quidditch-hardened abs before getting soaked up by the towel that rode low upon Malfoy's hips. He had no qualms about walking around half-naked in front of his friends, and the blonde padded across the room to his closet. Blaise flopped onto the king-sized bed and stared at the canopied ceilings in distinctly bored manner, tossing and catching his wand repetitively whereas Pansy made a soft sound of derision as she studied her perfectly manicured nails meticulously.

"Do you think that the little Gryff was serious?" Blaise asked at last, his soft melodic voice breaking the growing silence in the room.

"What, that she likes Draco?" Pansy's full pouty lips curled in a little smirk. "That wouldn't be very surprising, don't you think? Almost every girl Draco meets can't wait to jump his bones."

Zabini caught his wand one last time before rolling onto his stomach and propping his head on his right palm in a thoughtful manner. "I wasn't talking about lust."

"I am."

Pansy's delicately plucked eyebrow shot up. She lifted her head to eye Draco, who was by now properly attired in an expensive hand-tailored robe. "You want to bed the little Weaslette?" The brunette asked, surprised.

Malfoy stared at his reflection in the mirror as he used his wand to apply a drying charm to his hair. In a matter of seconds the wet golden locks dried and fell in a careful disarray of moon spun silk around his face. He turned to regard Parkinson, the corner of his lips tilted in a derisive smile. He shrugged carelessly. "Why not?"

Blaise snorted, not at all fooled by his nonchalance.

"Actually, I think what he was trying to say is that he has been secretly lusting after Ginny Weasley ever since the day Potter became The-Boy-Who-Finally-Finished-Voldemort. Haven't you noticed that the previous few of Draco's flings were all redheads?"

Pansy stared at Draco with a dawning look of realization. Blaise was right. The Ravenclaw Marietta Edgecombe had reddish blonde hair, and come to think of it Draco's last girlfriend Lisa Turpin had been a petite figure with dark auburn hair as well. "You have a crush on _Ginny Weasley_?"

Draco scowled immediately. He glared at Blaise but the teen merely grinned unrepentantly at him. He sighed at last in a long-suffering manner. "No. I do not have a crush on the littlest Weasel. The similarities in hair color were just coincidences."

Pansy started to smile. It was the slightest tilt of her lips but it was genuine. "I will bet." Was her reply to Draco's explanation. The blonde growled and Blaise barked softly with laughter.

"Come on, Draco. Just admit it. We won't think any less of you if you have an itty bitty crush on your Father's sworn enemy."

Draco rolled his eyes. Sometimes he questioned his own sanity. Why else would he tolerate such impudent behavior? "I do not have a crush on Arthur Weasley." Blaise was undaunted, the disgusting grin still on his face, the lanky teen probed. "His daughter then?"

The Slytherin seeker glared daggers at his housemate. "Why are you so fascinated by my interest in the girl Weasley?"

Hiding the amusement that he was feeling, Blaise shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing much. Just thought that if you aren't interested in her I might be. She's a fiery one. Smart and accomplished too." Draco stared at his friend for the longest time, as if trying to ascertain whether if Blaise was joking.

"You are willing to date a Blood Traitor?"

"At least she's a pure-blood." Blaise shrugged once more, and Draco felt like shaking the teeth out of his friend. "And she won't be a Blood Traitor once I marry her."

"_You are thinking of marriage_?" The blonde sounded outraged.

Pansy laughed softly then, her voice rich and feminine. "Stop antagonizing the poor fellow already, Zabini. I think we all get the point, unless Draco's head is thicker than usual today."

"I do not like Ginny Weasley!"

Blaise laid facedown onto the bed. "I rest my case." His muffled voice floated through the room. Pansy snickered, and Draco glared at his friends in an utterly defeated manner.

"I will admit that she intrigues me." The blonde admitted grumpily at last. He did not appreciate being browbeaten into a confession. "But that is nothing a few romps in the bedroom cannot cure."

The female Slytherin sobered. "With Ginny Weasley?"

An image of the little redhead tending to him in a most gentle manner surfaced in his mind. Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters had laid siege upon Hogwarts during the Final Battle and Draco had been brutally injured by an advanced version of the Sectumsempra when defending the castle. He had lost an alarming amount of blood by the time they brought him into the Hospital Wing, and since Madame Pomfrey had been busy with the other casualties Ginny Weasley had expertly taken over. He still remembered how quickly she had taken control of the situation, and at a time when chaos and disorder ran amok she had been a comforting source of patience and serenity. Her small hands had been soft and cool when she healed and bandaged the worst of his wounds, and despite the fact that he was supposed to be her mortal enemy she had tsked and nagged softly at him to be careful when she sent him back out to fight the siege.

He could never seem to get her completely out of his mind since then, and now that the little Gryffindor had so innocently offered herself up to him, he would be a fool to refuse her. Silver eyes darkened with anticipation.

"With Ginny Weasley."

* * *

Harry Potter was _not_ having a very good day.

Hell, he wasn't even having a good day, let alone the 'very'.

The savior of all wizardkind was nursing a growing headache as he watched his best friend pace a hole on the red carpets of the Gryffindor Common Room. Sitting across from Harry was an irritated Hermione who was frowning slightly at her redhead boyfriend.

"For Circe's sake, Ron, can you please sit down and wait like us normal people?" The curly-haired brunette muttered. "You are giving Harry and I migraines."

Ron ran his hand through his messy red hair. "I can't sit there and do nothing, Hermione. Why is Ginny not back yet? She has not run off to that Malfoy scum, has she?" The tall Gryffindor Keeper was starting to turn red with anger as he imagined the sorts of compromising positions that he might find his little sister and the Amazing Bouncing Ferret in. God forbid. As far as he was concerned Ginny was as pure as driven snow and more virtuous then a nun in a chapel. "Merlin, if she has I'm going to-"

"Ron, you saw it yourself." Harry decided to speak up before the redhead blew a gasket. "The Marauder's Map indicates that she's with her friends, remember?"

The redhead paused in his pacing and turned around to face Harry. "Exactly! The map! Let's go find her now!"

Hermione did not even have to use her head to know that would be one very bad idea. So did Harry, for that matter. "You are looking at one of your sister's very indigenous hexes if you really want to do that."

"But it's already an hour since she left the Great Hall!" Ron whined a little. "Ginny meets Lovegood, Creevey and Smith everyday! What is there so much to talk about?"

"Well, there is always the 'meddlesome brothers who love to poke their noses into other people's businesses' topic to discuss. That never gets old for obvious reasons."

Ginny crawled through the portrait hole into the common room. It wasn't very late, only eight at night but the entire area was devoid of students. Ginny decided that the Gryffindors were either out enjoying a late Friday night or had finally wised up enough to decide not to get caught in what would soon become a full out, knock down, no holds barred Weasley yelling match. Things tend to get a little messy sometimes, not to mention violent.

As such Harry Potter looked as if he would like to be anywhere but here at the moment. The-Boy-Who-Lived watched with dismay as Ron dashed over to Ginny's side no doubt to rudely demand an explanation out of his sister. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain groaned inwardly. He sincerely hoped that he would not have to recruit for a new Keeper tomorrow morning. Tryouts are such a bother.

"What have you got to say for yourself, Ginny?" Ron questioned predictably, his freckled face starting to turn slightly red all over again as he recalled the horrific event that had occurred in the Great Hall earlier. Great Merlin's belt; he had so many wonderful memories there too, but now every time he thought of them he could only see the vomit inducing image of his little sister locking lips with the Great Slytherin Ferret. "Why did you do it?" Ron cried out. "Is it because of a dare? Did Malfoy put you under the Imperius? Because if he did I will-"

"Ron, did you remember what Mama told us when we were young?" Ginny asked suddenly. Thrown off tangent, the older Weasley stared at his sister before nodded slowly. He did not know where Ginny was going with this but he had a bad feeling about it.

"Mama said that we would know, remember?" Ron frowned. He remembered their Mother saying something like that…about Soulmates and lovers…

His eyes widened and he gaped at his clearly insane little sister.

"No." The tall redhead said immediately. "Bloody hell. You are out of your mind, Ginny. Are you kidding me? Is this an April Fool's joke? Where are George and Fred? They are hiding behind you, aren't they?"

Standing aside and watching the two Weasley siblings were Harry and Hermione and they watched Ron's reaction to Ginny's cryptic question with great confusion. What were they talking about? What was going on?

Ginny shook her head stubbornly at Ron. "You know what Mama said was true." The youngest Weasley insisted obstinately.

"Yes, but I don't think that Draco-frigging-Malfoy was who Mom had in mind when she was talking about Soulmates and such!" Ron looked down at his petite sister and tried to make her see sense. "You have to be bloody mental to even want to be related to that Slytherin bastard. Did you forget that his Father almost killed you?"

Ginny sighed. "Of course I remember, Ron. That really isn't something that I can easily forget. But as you said, it was his Father, not him. Besides, didn't he help defend Hogwarts during the Final Battle? I just keep thinking that there's something not consistent with the picture."

Ron reared back. He knew where this is going. The tall redhead shook his head vehemently at his foolishly soft-hearted little sister.

"Oh no, you don't, Ginevra Molly Weasley. Don't you go painting Malfoy to be some angst-ridden, misguided soul in need of a hand to hold and little hugs and kisses. Malfoy's a Slytherin through and through. Hell, he is their poster boy. You can't find anyone more Slytherin than him, other than Tom Riddle that is, and look where _that_ got you." Ron looked positively frantic by now. "Your intention to reform him is going to return to bite you in the arse, just watch my words."

Ginny placed her hands on her hips. "I never said that I wanted to reform Malfoy, and by the way you sounded exactly like Mom."

Before Ron could reply to that Ginny went over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a most affectionate hug. Ron was so sweet sometimes. He might not know how to tell her that he cares but his overprotective ways spoke volumes. It exasperates Ginny most of the time, but the little redhead would never do anything to change Ron's endearing qualities. She and Ron had been the youngest of the Weasley brood, and between them they shared a bond not unlike that of Fred and George's. Ron had always been her staunchest defender and protector since young, and she understood exactly the turmoil her brother was experiencing.

Ron stared down at his little sister and could not help but feel his agitation fade away. He could never maintain his anger at her no matter how much he wanted to, and especially not so now that she had so innocently wrapped her arms around him, asking him without words for his understanding. He knew, deep down inside he knew, even though he was not willing to admit; that she was no longer the little girl that always needed to depend on her big brother. Ron also knew that his overprotective tendencies bothered on obsessive and he had an inkling that Ginny did too, but she had never said anything about it, preferring to trust in his judgment. .

Until now.

It occurred to him that all too soon his baby sister was ready to fly, and Ron knew that if he continued to hold her too tightly to him he was going to break those fragile wings. Ginny might be a year younger than him, but the war and her own experiences with the darker forces had matured her thinking. He sighed loudly. There was really no choice but to watch carefully by the sidelines now. At least by doing so he could still catch her if anything goes wrong.

"Bloody hell, why can't you choose a normal bloke like Harry?" Ron asked at last, his voice a little croaky and his face solemn. Hermione stared at her boyfriend and fell even more in love with him for the difficult decision she knew that he had just made. The Gryffindor Head Girl knew better than anyone how much Ron adored Ginny, and how it had nearly killed him six years ago when she had been possessed by the Dark Lord without his knowledge until it was almost too late. For the first time, Ron had failed his baby sister and since then he had vowed never to let it happen again.

Ginny could not help it; she let out a little laugh as she lifted her eyes to her brother. "Oh, Ron. You know that's impossible."

"For Merlin's sake, Ron. Quit pushing Harry and Ginny together." Hermione admonished as she moved to her boyfriend's side. "Can't you see that they treat each other as family?"

Harry nodded agreeably as he came to a stop beside Ginny. "Yeah, and besides I have known Gin since she was ten."

Ginny rolled her eyes at the green-eyed boy. "And you were only the ripe old age of eleven, gramps." Harry smiled and shrugged, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"That was a very daring thing to do in the Great Hall earlier."

Ron groaned loudly. "Thanks a lot for the reminder, Harry. Some of us are trying real hard to forget, you know?" Then putting his hands on Ginny's shoulders, Ron pried his little sister away from him and stared grumpily down at her. "And Malfoy had better not do anything inappropriate to you. If I hear otherwise I am going to owl the boys and put a permanent end to the Malfoy line, not that it is going to be sorely missed."

Ginny merely grinned. "I love you too, Ron."

* * *

**A/N : I am really, really in need of a beta-reader. If there is anyone who is interested in the post, I would be very grateful. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Snagging the Malfoy**

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

* * *

**Chapter 4 – The Day Pigs Fell From The Sky**

Luna Lovegood was hungry.

After all, she had barely had the time to finish her dinner earlier today, and judging from the most interesting thing that had happened in the Great Hall that night the blonde decided that she really shouldn't blame herself.

It was just too bad that her tummy wouldn't stop rumbling its protests.

Luna stared at the canopied ceiling of her bed and contemplated her circumstances.

She was hungry but it was already midnight. Everyone in her dorm was already fast asleep and Filch was probably out prowling in the hallways gleefully looking for students still wandering about after curfew.

But on the other hand, Ginny had shown her the entrance to the kitchens once, and if she was quick she probably wouldn't get caught. Besides, there was a full moon tonight and who knows, she might even get to see the delightful sight of a herd of dancing Mooncalves.

That was enough to cement Luna's decision. She sat up.

She was going to make the trip to the kitchens. The blonde scooted off her bed and despite the cold floors opted to pad silently out of her dorm barefooted. She also decided against a warm shawl, thinking to make a quick trip and be back after a little snack. Luna slowly walked out of the dark dormitory, her elbow-length blonde hair and thin white nightgown a glowing halo in the darkness. She was out of the Ravenclaw Tower in a matter of minutes, and her heart pounded with the excitement of creeping around the hallways with a high chance of being caught. It was an exhilarating feeling and Luna understood immediately why the Gryffindors seemed to like doing this on a regular basis.

The pretty Ravenclaw scurried to the end of the hallway and quickly descended the long flight of stairs that would lead her to the kitchens. There was still quite some ways to go, however; the kitchens were located in the dungeons below the Great Hall and she was nearly eight floors above. Luna kept her ears sharp for any sound as she darted down the stairways quickly. Filch must be patrolling in some other parts of the castle for Luna saw no sight of him or Mrs. Norris as she easily navigated down seven floors with no trouble whatsoever, thank Merlin for that. The blonde descended to the ground floor and was about to dart across the hallway to reach the last flight of stairs when she felt eyes on her. She slowed down but did not stop completely, turning to regard the darkened corridors with an inquisitive tilt of her head as she continued to move towards the stairs leading to the dungeons. Pale silvery eyes registered no movement at all and satisfied that it was probably her imagination, Luna proceeded to head down towards the kitchens, sweet relief singing in her veins.

"You are looking at a detention with Filch, you know."

The soft purr caused Luna to freeze in mid-step.

She turned slowly, and her eyes widened at the sight of the tall Slytherin standing right before her. She glimpsed the sardonic amusement in the Prefect's indigo eyes and grimaced in reaction.

Dancing Doxies, she was busted.

Blaise regarded the blonde before him with a slightly arched brow. The sixth year was clad in only a virginal white nightgown that was slightly see through when she stood before the dim stairway lights. He doubted that she was aware of it, but he could see her lithe form clearly. Not one to refuse an offer when it was so temptingly presented to him, the lanky male perused her leisurely. She was of average height, her breasts were high and pert, a sweet indent of a waist, flaring feminine hips, and sleek thighs that her nightgown clung happily to. Her eyes of liquid silver were bright in the semi-darkness and her waist-length dirty blonde hair was tousled and floated around her in a most enticing manner.

The Prefect's brow kept rising higher and higher as he processed what he saw.

Loony Lovegood had grown up to be a delectable beauty.

He would never have thought that this was what she had been hiding under her school robes had he not caught her tonight. With her pale features, white gown and blonde hair, there was an ethereal Faye-like quality around her. Blaise wondered if she was out meeting her lover, and if it was so he was probably a Slytherin or a Hufflepuff, judging from the direction that she was heading towards.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked abruptly as indigo eyes snapped to gentle grey ones. Luna blinked at him, and inwardly Blaise realized that she was hardly intimidated by his harsh tone or his notoriety. For some reason, that pleased him.

"I was hungry." She said as she pushed a few tendrils of hair out of her face. The gracefully feminine gesture distracted him and he frowned slightly when he had to fall back on his photographic memory to recall what she had just said.

He stared skeptically at her attire. "You were going to visit the kitchens barefooted and…improperly dressed?"

Luna looked down at herself. She was adequately covered. Then she looked back up at the dark Slytherin with the pure black hair and full Prefect regalia and thought that maybe that was what he meant.

"I was hoping to see Mooncalves tonight. They are intensely shy, you know." Luna spoke again, her voice soft and calm. "If I make less noise and act less conspicuous maybe they will let me near enough to touch them."

Blaise looked incredulously at Luna. With that attire she was in, she was about as inconspicuous as Snape in a pink tutu. He shook his head inwardly and brushed past her as he descended the stairs. Luna gazed after the retreating Prefect with a look of confusion on her face. Wasn't he going to report her?

"Come. Aren't you going to the kitchens?" the tall male paused at the foot of the stairway to look at her. Not wanting to question the Slytherin's suddenly good intentions Luna nodded and immediately hurried down after him. They walked along the corridor in silence until they reached the painting of the bowl of fruit. Remembering what Ginny had done, the blonde reached out and tickled the pear, smiling a little herself when the fruit giggled and became a door handle. Luna was about to open it when Blaise did the honors for her, pulling the portrait door open and waiting for her to enter. She entered timidly, wondering inwardly why Zabini of the infamous Slytherin trio was being so nice to her.

She promptly forgot about her worrying thoughts when she stepped into the cheery kitchens. A hearty fire was blazing in the brick fireplace and although the preparation tables were clean and devoid of food, there were still House-elves milling about. Dobby was one of them, and the cheerful House Elf wearing a ridiculous hat (Luna was sure that it had been knitted by Hermione) and a pair of children's soccer shorts rushed to a stop before her. "Friend of Miss Wheezy!" The elf chirped with delight. "How can Dobby help her tonight?"

Luna's silvery eyes sparkled at the enthusiastic elf. "I am hungry, Dobby." She spoke nicely to the pint-sized House-Elf that barely reached her hips. "Do you have any cookies for a little snack?"

Dobby nodded. "Would Dobby bring a glass of milk as well?"

Luna nodded gratefully. "That would be nice." She turned to Blaise then, who had been standing in silence beside her. "Would you like anything as well?" The Slytherin shook his head, and Dobby disappeared quickly into the huge kitchens. Luna wandered over to one of the small tables that the elves would normally rest at and was surprised when Zabini followed after her. She took a seat on one of the chairs and looked a little amused by the slight look of distaste that fleeted across the Prefect's handsome face before he too, took a seat opposite her.

Dobby appeared then, and after laying the large plate of cookies and a tall glass of warm milk the elf bid both students a cheery good evening before bustling off to do his own things.

Utterly famished by now, Luna picked up a large chocolate chip cookie and bit into it with great relish, chewing enthusiastically and allowing the wonderful taste to spread in her mouth. "Don't you have patrol duties to attend to?" The blonde asked the Slytherin Prefect when she washed down the mouthful of cookie with a self-assured swig of milk.

Blaise watched as the Ravenclaw darted out a small pink tongue to sweep away the milk moustache on her upper lip. She reached for another cookie and ate it happily, her silvery eyes showing her contentment. The tall Slytherin was fascinated. The girls whom he had dated would never dare touch anything as fattening as the delicious confection that Lovegood was currently polishing off with great delight. He found it ridiculous, but they had also claimed to be self-conscious when eating with him, which was why he seldom if ever saw his female companions actually consuming anything substantial before him, odd as it was. Lovegood was a startling contrast. The way the blonde was behaving made him think that she would hardly care less if he was the Minister of Magic, let alone Blaise Zabini.

She looked questioningly at him and once more he cursed himself inwardly for being entranced by her unique behavior. Something was seriously wrong with him if he found the crazy Ravenclaw intriguing. "You are my current duty." He answered brusquely, his normally melodic voice rough with annoyance. "Hurry up and finish your food. I will have to walk you up to your dorm so that you don't run around after curfew again."

Luna shrugged and continued eating her cookies. She finished off another three more and drained her glass of milk before proclaiming herself full. Zabini got to his feet and stood aside in silence as Luna delicately brushed crumbs off her before using a napkin to dab her mouth clean. She stood up and wandered off to thank Dobby before following the Slytherin back out into the dark corridor.

"You needn't be so polite to the House-elf." Zabini observed as they made their way up the first flight of stairs. "He is being paid to do his job."

"Mama always told me to be grateful for the things people have done for me." Was her soft reply as he guided her across the hallways and up another flight of stairs. She stared at him with luminous eyes. "Are you really sure that you want to walk me up, Zabini? It is seven floors up and I can reach there by myself."

The Slytherin continued walking beside her. "I know where the Ravenclaw dormitories are." He said dryly before turning to stare at her in a slightly challenging manner. "Why? Thinking of sneaking off to meet your boyfriend now?"

Luna was so surprised by his question that both her eyebrows shot up, and Blaise knew immediately that the thought had never entered her mind. "And why would I want to do that for?" She asked him innocently.

It was now Blaise's turn to be surprised. He looked at her in pure incredulity for a split second before his face smoothed back to its bland mask once more. He shrugged easily. "I don't know. Would you?"

Luna shook her head immediately. "Ginny, Colin and Zacharias are more fun to sneak around with, and they don't mind running around barefooted and in their pajamas with me." Blaise shot her an arch look over her apparent reference to his remark earlier.

"Well, I'm sure Malfoy would appreciate that information."

Luna stopped then. "Malfoy?" She echoed softly, her face thoughtful. The Slytherin nodded.

"You know," he drawled lazily as he motioned for her to keep moving. "That 'stupid git' your redheaded friend snogged in front of everybody today?"

The Ravenclaw could not help herself. She laughed, and for the third time that night Blaise found himself distracted by the little blonde by his side. Her laughter wasn't like the soft tinkling of bells, but it was pleasant and best of all, genuine. Her eyes glinted with mirth and her small pink lips spread into a tiny smile. Blaise felt his own curl in an amused smirk.

"Oh my." Luna said at last when her sudden fit of giggles subsided. "Ginny shouldn't have said that. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud when I heard what she had said." She looked curiously at Zabini. "Is Malfoy angry with Ginny?"

The Prefect shot the Ravenclaw an arrogant look. "Playing spy for your friend?" He asked knowingly. Luna shrugged.

"She likes him. I don't know why, but she really does." Luna looked solemnly at the Slytherin as they climbed that last flight of stairs. "Will Ginny be ok?"

She looked at him with such childlike expectation and it affected the Slytherin so much that for the first time ever he blurted out what was on his mind without weighing the consequences or wording his answer for a maximum, if not witty, impact.

"Draco won't hurt her."

Blaise knew even as he spoke the words that he had probably been manipulated. Then came his next realization; Luna Lovegood was one dangerous opponent. He had no idea how she had managed to get him to lower his guard around her so quickly but she had succeeded. His indigo eyes narrowed with fury upon the seemingly innocent girl beside him but Luna appeared oblivious to her own victory. The unusual behavior threw the Slytherin in for a loop and his wrath faded slightly. Then she nodded trustingly at him, taking his words for its value without even demanding for an explanation and that confused him enough to let go of all his frustrations.

She wasn't manipulating him.

If nothing else Zabini was smart, and it did not take him long to add everything together to come to that conclusion. Judging by the way that she had behaved earlier the Slytherin quickly understood that the blonde walking sedately beside him didn't have a cunning bone in her very nice body. She was however, very innocent, so much so to an extent that he had never seen before in a sixteen-year old girl, which was why he had totally mistaken her guileless behavior for something else. It was really amazing, and the normally perceptive Zabini felt pretty foolish for not having realized it sooner.

His facial expression did not reveal his chagrin though, and it was an impassive face that Luna had looked up to when they finally reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room. The blonde stared at the bland expression on the Slytherin's face and suddenly felt very awkward, which was ridiculous because she didn't even know him well enough to care about how he thought of her. In fact, she was pretty sure that he did not even know of her name. Luna would have ran into the safety of her Common Room had she not remembered Mama's teachings. She grimaced inwardly; sometimes having to be always polite isn't what it sets out to be.

"Thank you for helping me tonight." Luna spoke quickly to the floor, her cheeks colored pink and her eyes looking at everywhere but him. Then she turned away to whisper the password to the Common Room entrance, and was about to slip in between the portrait door when she felt long fingers encircle her wrist. Startled, she turned quicksilver eyes down to the hand that was preventing her escape before lifting them to meet darkly amused shades of indigo.

"Don't thank me, little one. I did not help you for free." His soft purr alarmed the dreamy Ravenclaw and her eyes widened with apprehension. She watched confused as the larger Slytherin male lifted his free hand and twined a lock of her soft, blonde hair around his perfectly manicured fingers. Mesmerized, she continued staring in a dazed stupor as he brought his hand up to deliver a chaste kiss on her hair, his dark eyes never leaving hers for once. She shivered, but not totally from fear and the slight gleam in his eyes told Luna that he was aware of it as well.

"You owe me now, _Luna_."

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Saint Potter and his sidekick, the Weasel King."

Harry looked up at the feminine drawl and narrowed his emerald eyes at none other than Pansy Parkinson. Ron stiffened. They had been waiting outside the entrance of the Slytherin Common Room since this morning, and it had taken very imaginative threats of extreme bodily harm to three Slytherin first years before someone finally deign to come out of the snake pit.

"Parkinson." Ron growled as he towered over the seemingly unconcerned Slytherin. "Where is Mal-ferret?"

"Right here, Weasley. Or are you so poor that you cannot recognize sophistication when you see it?" The tall Gryffindor keeper turned back to the entrance to see an impeccably dressed Draco Malfoy step out gracefully from the Common Room, white blond hair in an artful disarray and metallic grey eyes glinting with derision. Ron gritted his teeth; he started to regret his promise to his sister the night before. Ginny must have been fed with some sort of mind-controlling potion; how else could his sweet baby sister think of such scum as her Soulmate?

"Malfoy." Harry interrupted quietly, his calm, reasonable tone more effective than any form of yelling, screaming and shouting could be. "We are not here to pick a fight."

The blonde's eyebrow arched up. "Oh? Then please, _please_ enlighten us as to what two Gryffindors are doing in the ungodly hours of a _Saturday_ morning, I might add, kicking up a ruckus outside the Slytherin Common Room _and yet _claiming not to be looking for a fight." The irritation in Malfoy's eyes was unmistakable by now, and Harry stared at his arch nemesis oddly.

"You are annoyed that we interrupted your beauty sleep, aren't you?" The Gryffindor spoke then, and the Head Boy rolled his eyes.

"No. I am annoyed that you interrupted my morning yoga exercises with Madam Pince. Use your brain, Potter. Must you keep spouting the obvious? I know that you Gryffindors wake up all sunny and ready to take on all the evils of the world but the rest of us normal people need our rest, you know. Well? What do you want?" Malfoy crossed his arms against his chest and stared superiorly at the two Gryffindors.

Ron shook his head in disgust. "I really don't know what Gin saw in a pansy like you."

"Watch it, Weasel King." The female Slytherin that he had unintentionally (or maybe not) insulted warned. Ron looked like he hardly cared. The tall redhead stared hard at the bane of his existence.

"I need to talk to you about Ginny." Ron looked almost in physical pain as he forced those words out of his mouth. This was worst than a nightmare.

Malfoy's eyebrow rose higher. He was beginning to understand the purpose of this visit. "Oh I get it now. You and Potter are going to read me the riot act." He smirked, and it was all Ron could do not to wrap his hands around the bloody Ferret's neck. "You might as well save yourself the trouble. I never said that I want anything to do with the Weaslette, did I?"

"You bloody-What?!" Ron stopped in the middle of his cursing and gazed at Malfoy with a mixture of shock and growing hope. Even Harry looked surprised. "You really don't want anything to do with Ginny?" The redhead asked, his eyes filled with increasing optimism. Malfoy was so disgusted by that grateful puppy-eyed look that the Weasel King was giving to him that he almost said 'no' just to get that revolting gaze away from him. The blonde nodded curtly instead and turned his gaze away from the male Weasley, trying hard not throw up. Pansy snickered.

"But-but…You kissed her!" Ron got over his relief quick enough to frown at Malfoy once more.

Draco sneered. "That was merely a little demonstration to that little Blood Traitor what she would never have. I know that I am irresistible, but try to keep your horny little sister away from me in the future. I don't bed dirty Weasleys."

Ron turned red. It was one thing to call him names, but to defame Ginny…

"You goddamned bastard!!" Ron would have launched himself at Malfoy had Harry not leap in the way at the last moment. Unlike his taller friend he had not missed the wands that both Parkinson and Malfoy had whipped out, ready for the redhead's attack.

"Ron! Give it up." Harry ordered as he struggled with 190 pounds of enraged Weasley. Sometimes he wondered why he was always playing peacemaker. Ron was no longer the skinny boy that he was a few years back, and Malfoy more than deserved the redhead's wrath. Merlin knows that he tries his best to incite it all the time. "He said that he is not interested in Ginny. You should be rejoicing. Don't bother about what else he says."

It was just too bad that Ron was seeing the world through a most lovely shade of red, and nothing seemed to be able to get through to his head. Harry worried that he might very well enter into a Berserker's Rage.

"What's all that racket outside? What have I missed?" An impeccable Zabini sauntered out of the opening, stretching lazily as he did so. Malfoy smirked.

"Nothing much." The blonde drawled. "Just an insane Weasel scratching at the wrong tree."

"Ah." Was Blaise's reply as he glimpsed the red-faced Weasley and a grim looking Potter. "Shall we go for breakfast then?"

Draco shrugged. "Might as well." The two Slytherins brushed past the Gryffindors nonchalantly. "Pansy, are you coming?"

"I will be there." She called out as her friends disappeared around a corner. The beautiful brunette stared at the still enraged Weasley and the straining Potter. The Gryffindor Seeker was having a hard time restraining his friend. His spectacles were displaced from his nose and his jet-black hair was messier than usual.

"Let me go, Harry! I will show Malfoy Weasley trash, all right. I will thrash the crap out of him!!" Ron roared as he attempted to pry his friend-turned-barnacle away from him.

"Stupefy!"

A bolt of red light appeared before the Gryffindors and almost immediately Ron went slack in Harry's restraining hold. The sudden dead weight was too much for the lean teenager and Harry would have fallen onto his backside if not for Pansy's next spell.

"Mobilicorpus."

An unconscious Ron slowly floated away from the green-eyed boy and drifted in an odd position in the air. Relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with Ron's fiery temper anymore, Harry ran a hand through his messy hair and pushed his spectacles back into place. He looked across the corridor to where the beautiful Slytherin was standing.

"Thanks, I guess." Harry muttered to Parkinson and she arched a thin brow at him. That irritated Harry a little, whose patience was already wearing thin for what had happened earlier. Does all Slytherins have a handbook that teaches them how to communicate their sarcasm without words?

"Where do you want to put him?" Pansy asked at last, her voice low and bored. Harry frowned. Not that he didn't appreciate her help, but she needn't behave so haughtily.

"Just lower him to the floor here." He said stiffly. The Slytherin looked skeptical but did as he said. Harry had been expecting Pansy to dump Ron painfully onto the cold dungeon floors but was surprised when she laid his friend onto the ground with utmost gentleness. Pansy must have caught the look on his face for she glided over to him as she return her wand back into her robe pocket.

Harry stiffened slightly when Pansy came so close to him that there was nary an inch between them. Wary emerald clashed with smoky sapphire as the petite brunette pressed her small hands against his chest to tiptoe to his eyelevel. Harry swallowed when her heady strawberry scented perfume inundated his senses and tried not to marvel at the wonderful sensation of her hands on his body. The Gryffindor felt himself tinting the slightest shade of red as he tried not to be affected by the beautiful witch standing before him. Her long, long lashes and huge bewitching blue eyes seemed to swallow up her small porcelain face; and her small button nose and full red lips kept distracting him from pushing her away. Telling himself repeatedly that she was Slytherin scum did not seem to work at all, and he wondered if she was putting some sort charm over him.

"Parkinson." He croaked out at last, trying frantically to look at anywhere but that mesmerizing face and failing miserably. "What are you doing?"

Harry could not help but stare as those long dark lashes swept down to fan milky cheeks as she looked at him coquettishly with half-lidded eyes. Belatedly, the realization that the Slytherin Queen was flirting with him came immediately to mind, but it was just as quick to disappear when she pressed those pouting lips of hers against his own dry ones in a soft, chaste kiss.

His breath hitched.

The kiss ended as quickly as it had begun, but even as she withdrew from him Harry could feel the outline of her soft mouth as intensely as though it had been branded upon his own. It took all of his control not to touch his lips in awe.

Pansy settled back onto her feet and stepped away from Harry. Almost immediately, the look of desire on her face smoothed away to utter impassiveness and the taller male was left to wonder if he had hallucinated the whole 'Pansy Parkinson just cornered and snogged me' thing up. Then he looked into her sapphire eyes once more and saw that expression of want hidden behind mild amusement, and knew that it hadn't been his overactive imagination at all.

"Rennervate." No sooner had he heard the Slytherin's delightfully husky voice, Ron started to stir.

Uncaring of all the noise the Gryffindor Keeper was making on the floor between them, Pansy stared into the beautiful green eyes of The-Boy-Who-Lived for a split second before allowing her lips to curl in the smallest of smiles. Then without a word she turned suddenly and started to move towards the direction of the stairway, her slim hips swaying in an utterly feminine manner that made Harry flush even harder.

A loud groan from Ron shook him from his disastrous thoughts, and the Gryffindor Seeker quickly went to help his friend up. Harry was trying to get a still out-of-it Ron to sit up properly when he heard Parkinson's parting words, and as usual they were delivered in that low drawl that made him think of very naughty things.

"Do not judge a book by its cover, Harry Potter."

* * *

**A/N : Haha, Slytherin seduction, anyone? **

**No D/G interaction in this chapter, but yeah, rather more on the secondary pairings of this fic. I have an overwhelming fixation for Harry/Pansy and Luna/Blaise, and I hope that I can convince more people to ship these pairings as well. I know that they aren't common, but if written well, _whoa_, haha. **

**I would like to thank Volurin and nun outfits are cool for volunteering to beta this fic. You cannot imagine how grateful I am to hear this. I am having my exams now and I don't know when I can crank out the next chapter but when I do I will be sure to send it to the both of you, if the offer still stands that is. Anyway, I am really grateful for your offers to help straighten out Snagging The Malfoy, at any rate. **

**Ok, enough mumbles ramblings from the authoress! **

**Until next time, everyone! Review!**


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